Many people don't know that it is entirely possible to find and purchase antiquities from across the ancient world, all from the comfort of your home! Ancient artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Rome, Sumeria, etc. can be found at often very low prices, many times costing less than $50.
Antiquities Collecting is Affordable
When most people think of antiquities collectors, they think of the really rich who have millions of dollars to spend on ancient treasures of the past. Or those villains from bad movies and TV shows who will do nothing to get their hands on a priceless artifact. How can just anyone own a statue from Imperial Rome, or a bracelet from ancient Egypt?
In reality, antiquities collecting is quite affordable. And it doesn’t involve dealing with black market traders or underhanded tomb raiders. There is a large antiquities market accessible to anyone. With the rise of internet shopping it has become even easier.
I first became aware of antiquities collecting a couple of years ago when I was looking for a present for my girlfriend. I happened upon an ancient Hellenistic necklace. It was a beautiful green glass bead necklace that was almost 2000 years old. What was even more amazing was that it only cost 200 dollars. That was less than some of the necklaces I had been looking for her at Wal-Mart, and none of them had been worn by ancient women in Greece.
Needless to say, she absolutely loved it. There is something particularly special and romantic about a necklace so old that used to be worn by people long ago. I began doing a little more research into antiquities, and realized that there is a large market of antiquities out there, perfectly accessible to the average person. You can buy ancient artifacts for as little as ten bucks! And its not just ancient jewelry: any sort of artifact you can imagine is probably available out there somewhere.
Antiquities Collecting is Legal
When I first got started in searching for antiquities, I was a little worried about the legality of it. After all, these are real life ancient artifacts we are talking about here. Shouldn’t they be in a museum or something? How am I able to buy these things so cheaply?
It didn’t help that when I searched for “antiquities dealer” in Yahoo! I kept getting stories about antiquities dealers going to jail for illegal dealing practices. So I did a little more research into the subject.
There are, of course, those who deal illegally with ancient artifacts. There is quite a black market out there for artifacts. Those villains we see in those bad movies and TV shows, while a bit overdone, do exist in real life.
However, there is a perfectly legal antiquities trade. It’s important to note that the antiquities that you are buying from these dealers are not major artifacts. They are small pieces, the kind that if they were in a museum would get shoved in a box down in the basement, never to see the light of day. There are way more of these types of artifacts out there than you might think, and this has spawned a perfectly legal trade in antiquities.
How to Make Sure You Are Dealing With a Reputable Antiquities Dealer
When you first get started collecting antiquities, it is important to make sure that you are working with reputable dealers. The best way to do this is to make sure that the dealer you are shopping from is a member of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA). This organization has been around since 1993, and it is the official international body of the antiquities dealing trade.
In order to be a member of the organization, the dealership must adhere to their code of ethics, and must follow all the laws regarding antiquities dealing. By making sure that your dealer is a member of the IADAA, you know that you are dealing with reputable people.
How to Start Your Antiquities Collection
There are so many dealers and antiquities out there; it can be difficult to know exactly where to start making your own collection of antiquities. The first thing of course is to find a dealer.
The internet is home of many antiquities dealers. If you go to the web site of the IADAA (link below), you will find listings of the dealers online who are members of this organization. This is probably the best way to find a dealer, because you will know right from the start that they are a good dealer if they are a member of the IADAA. When I first started I had no idea what I was doing, and just started searching for antiquities dealers on search engines, after happening upon that first dealer with the Hellenistic necklace.
The next question is of course: what do I buy from these people? That is more a matter of taste than anything else. Antiquities dealers’ web sites are normally set up in different ways. You can usually search their catalogue by historic period that you are looking for artifacts from. Sometimes you can also search for type of artifact, like coins, jewelry, idols, etc.
I personally don’t have a particular favorite period, so I try to find dealers that will allow me to search by type, and I can just browse through and see if there is anything I like. However, if you are interested in a certain period, such as Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Hellenistic, Islamic, etc., you can search for antiquities in this way as well.
Tips on Antiquities Collecting
Start small. You don’t need to plop down 3000 dollars on your first antiquities purchase. If you are wanting to build a collection, try purchasing some of the smaller artifacts first that cost less money. This will allow you to get more pieces of more variety, so you can start getting a feel for what antiquities collecting is like.
Do a little bit of research. These are ancient antiquities, and it is good to understand some of the basics of the history of the cultures from which these artifacts come. You’ll also want to know a little bit about the art of the time period, and the materials they used.
Don’t restrict yourself to your own country when looking for dealers. The antiquities trade is international, and it is often possible to find great dealers with great deals in other countries. Shipping prices aren’t exceedingly high usually, and it is a great way to expand the base of your search.
Take your time when making purchases. Make sure you know exactly what you want. There are thousands of antiquities out there for you, make sure you get what you are looking for.
Antiquities Time Periods
Here’s a list of some of the major time periods you will come across when searching for antiquities. The dating is a bit rough, these are just generalizations. You'll find that most antiquities dealers work with artifacts from the Near East and the Mediterranean, however some might also offer antiquities from the Far East, such as China and Japan that are not listed here.
Prehistoric: The Paleolithic and the Neolithic periods; generally stone tools and things of that sort are the things you will find here.
Mesopotamian: ~4,000 - 300BC: The ancient Mesopotamian empires: Sumeria, Babylon, Persia, etc.
Ancient Egyptian. ~4,000-300 BC. Time period of the pharaohs and the pyramids.
Ancient Greek: ~1,000BC-300BC: Ancient Greece, time of Plato, Aristotle, etc., prior to Alexander the Great’s conquest.
Hellenistic. ~300BC -100AD. Time after Alexander the Great, extends across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Egypt and Asia to the border of India
Roman: ~100BC-500AD: Generally refers to the Roman Empire, from about the time of Julius Caesar until the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century AD
Byzantine: ~500AD-1500AD: The Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the Roman Empire, and lived on until the 15th Century AD when it was taken over by the Ottoman Turks
Islamic: ~600-1500AD: Time of the Islamic great empires, generally ends about 1500 although the Ottoman Empire extended until the 20th Century
Most Common Types of Antiquities
These are some of the more common types of antiquities, although this list is by no means exhaustive to help you a little bit as you start your path to becoming an antiquities collector. There are many more types of antiquities out there than these.
Coins. Ancient coins make up a major part of the antiquities market. It can also be a great way to start your collection, since they are fairly small and are generally very affordable.
Jewelry. Jewelry of all kinds: necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, etc. With bracelets and necklaces especially it is common to find that there are modern settings for these ancient pieces, as the original settings have been destroyed over time.
Idols. These are small statues and other objects used in devotional worship.
Pottery. Ancient pottery is especially fascinating, and there are many great pieces of pottery antiquities out there.
Get Started!
The information here is a good basis for anyone to get started in building their own antiquities collection. Go out, find some dealers, and see what they have to offer. See what appeals to you. Everyone’s taste is different, and in the antiquities market there is something for everyone’s taste.
With the prices of antiquities being what they are, it is possible for anyone to become an antiquities collector. Don’t be frightened by the idea that they are antiquities, it is possible for anyone to have a collection of artifacts ranging from prehistoric times to the Roman Empire to Hellenistic Egypt. Make sure you are dealing with reputable dealers though, properly licensed by the IADAA. Then you are ready to become an antiquities collector today!